so I got my alcatraz bike jersey today, but i haven’t actually done the race…this year will be my first year. i will not wear a race finisher shirt for a race i haven’t done, but…in the spirit of getting hyped up for a race that makes me nervous (more so since 19-year-olds getting abducted by sea lions!)…is it tri-legal to wear the jersey in training for the race???
No. I’ve already called the cops.
Absolutely not…unless of course you want to really look like an irongeek, then go for it!
Race t-shirts should never be worn until the day after the race. You scream out “I am a total rookie!” when parading around the race kit pickup location with your new shirt on. Wait at least one day after the race before donning the new garment 
It’s bad luck too!
Race shirts should only be used to clean your bike or wax your car.
okay, i wanted to be sure i wasn’t taking things too seriously, but it appears others are in the same boat, so I will NOT wear the jersey until completing the event. but…for the record - it’s not a “finisher” shirt…wouldn’t have even considered that. thanks for the feedback.
is it tri-legal to wear the jersey in training for the race???
Before the race it’s ‘legal’, but it’s very bad luck. It is, however, ‘illegal’ to wear a shirt from a race you DNFed.
karma…very very bad karma…
on a side note…if they are longsleeve, i will wear them after finishing the race to keep warm in…change of clothes type thing.
(mind you…this only applies to nice dryfit race shirts…only have a couple of those)
“Race t-shirts should never be worn until the day after the race”.
After the race is right, cant be before… but doesnt have to be day after. Usually the only time I ever put on the shirt is cleaning up the transition area, grab a bite to eat and then the way home. Once it hits the wash, it becomes property of the wife (who knows since she doesnt do tris, cant be seen outside house with it on).
I always take heat when I say this but, I don’t wear race shirts hardly at all.
I see so many of the darn things they have kind of lost their luster. Also, even though I am the first to admit I do vigorous self promotion of my own “accomplishments” on my website, books, etc., I don’t necessrily want the guy in line behind me at Starbuck’s to know what I’m up to.
Having said that, I spent over $400 in the Nike merchanidse tent at IMNZ but it was for stuff for the people who helped me get to the race. Well, except for the super cool IMNZ Nike ACG fleece jacket I bought that I only wear when people can’t see me.
I’m funny that way.
Lets see, do you own it? Do you wear a new pair of pants to work before you get paid? Have the fashion police ever taken any thing away from you?.
Hell yes wear the damn thing, at least you are in the race. I think that is way better than all the posers wearing pro team kit. The only thing I won’t wear is the world championship rainbow, until I have won the worlds in something. G
My race shirts get a lot of wear during the summer. Best of all are the obscure local races. We’re overrun with touristas during that time a year, and I like to think that, say, my Vaparaiso Heritage Museum 5K or Demolition Man shirt manages to give off of a little bit of a “Hi, I’m a local” vibe. (And you seem to get slightly better customer service if someone thinks you might be coming back to their store/restaurant on a regular basis)
The races that market themselves as sort of regional destination events, not so much.